I have a really simple MP3 kiosk app (written in wxLua and using xmms to play) and it takes ages (longer than XP) to boot on my AMD 3200 Athlon.I use syslinux, USB2, initrd-version and it boot definitely faster on my 2Gig Dell Intel laptop, but still slow (over 1min). Is it faster to use the initrd version - where the KNOPPIX image is loaded with minirt24.gz?or should I stick with the old way (mounting the USB stick and loading KNOPPIX off it)?

Start with tweaking the boot params in syslinux.cfg by disabling hardware checks for stuff you don't have, icons could be disabled if your mp3 app is fullscreen etc.. These should speed the boot a little

--------------There's no such thing as life. Those mean little jocks invented it ;)-Windows is not a virus. A virus does something!

I have put all no"----" params in syslinux.cfg and have completely rewritten .xinitrc to only start xmms and my app.

The bottleneck at this point is the Autcoconfigure script (guess its in linuxrc?) and the KNOPPIX image being loaded into memory.Why does it take so long (just under 1min) to load +-50Megs off the USB stick to memory?

Enable dma (option "dma" into syslinux.cfg...), it might even double the speed of copying to ram..

Did you include "noscsi"? The autoconfigure can only be sped up by noscsi and nosound..If you are going to boot only this one machine, you could enable nosound too and modprobe the driver in bootlocal.sh...

edit: autoconfigure is a program, written by Klaus Knopper..

--------------There's no such thing as life. Those mean little jocks invented it ;)-Windows is not a virus. A virus does something!

With all that in mind, there can be factors that can impede data transfer rates between your USB stick and your computer. Those factors include the stick you're using (not all flash memory is equal), how it's been used in the past (flash memory is not eternal; it has a limited number of write and erase cycles), and your system configuration (amount and type of RAM, etc.). It also helps if your USB bus is properly connected.

USB is still faster and more durable and convenient than floppies or ZIP disks.

--------------"It felt kind of like having a pitbull terrier on my rear end."-- meo (copyright(c)2008, all rights reserved)